


Beware The Jabberwocky

by me_meron_pan



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, Valenwind, Zine: Gunpowder & Cigarettes - Valenwind Zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:13:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24240079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/me_meron_pan/pseuds/me_meron_pan
Summary: Who dared to slay the Jabberwocky?Was brave enough to face those catching claws, that biting jaw?----------In which Cid gets irritated and no one quite knows what causes his terrible moods.Vincent might have an idea though...
Relationships: Cid Highwind & Vincent Valentine, Cid Highwind/Vincent Valentine
Kudos: 22





	Beware The Jabberwocky

Beware The Jabberwocky

_ Twas brillig, and the slithy toves _

_ Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;  _

A sense of threat dawned on them – statics in the air. The atmosphere had been sore for days, only growing worse with every day that passed. 

Talking ceased as the doors swung open, heavy steps coming down towards the control panels. Brave whispers here and there yet nobody dared to look. 

''The mood's killing me...'' 

''Same here...''

They muttered to each other as they watched their captain take his usual place with nothing less than great respect. 

They wondered who'd be the next one.

''I heard he kicked Twelve out of the team on monday...''

''Really?! Twelve?!''

''Shush!''

Their mumbling became silent at a mere glance from their captain who sat, high and mighty like a king, on that run down and worn out chair that had been in the workshop for years. Probably even centuries considering how old it looked.

They had never seen him without a cigarette between his lips. 

  
  


_ Beware the Jabberwocky, my son! _

_ The jaws that bite, the claws that catch _

  
  


It was a simple mistake – meaningless even. 

The sound of something breaking echoed through the workshop. Only the sound of something breaking. 

Everyone else was still too afraid to make a mistake. 

''Six!'' it followed almost immediately. 

Shock. Panic. The mechanic in question stood up, saluting his captain. 

''Yes, Sir! I'm sorry, Sir!'' 

The statics in the air around them grew worse. Heavier than ever before. Everyone watched as their captain got up from his place. Slow and sluggish with a sigh slipping from his lips. 

None of them were breathing in that moment. 

It was as if a giant made his way across the barren lands as Cid Highwind slowly approached. Everyone who had a functioning sense for danger knew it would be better to run and never return.

But they couldn't. They were in his training after all. And it had taken  _ everything _ from them to get in training under that grumpy bastard who was a genius when it came to engines and the sky.

They usually knew better not to enrage their boss. They knew how to walk and talk, how to work and behave when he was watching. 

It all was a refined routine in the workshop – everyone knew what to do and where to be. 

And yet, little slip-ups could easily happen.

They were human after all.

… they weren't so sure about that when it came to their Captain however. 

''Six...'' Cid muttered as he threw his cigarette to the ground. Smashing it under his boot. 

''Y-Yes, Sir?''

The pilot remained silent. A sharp eye scanning the damage that had been done. 

His poor mechanic dying twice on the inside. 

''How did this happen?''

The calm before a storm would hit. 

''I fear I slipped...'' 

''You slipped?'' 

Cid crouched down to further examine the broken engine. 

''Well, ya better slip  _ yer ass _ outta my workshop then. We don’t need any clumsy people.’’   
  


Dead silence.    
They knew their comrade’s judgment was absolute.    
No way back.    
No chance to make things better - unless someone could turn back time.   
  
He left without a word. Put down his badge with quivering lips.   
  
//No signs of weakness, pilot...//   
  
Cruel.    
Cold.    
Cid Highwind was a disaster. Lately even more than ever.

_ Beware the Jabberwocky, my son! _

_ The jaws that bite, the claws that catch. _

‘’Another one down, I guess…’’   
  
_____________________________________

His mood had only gotten worse throughout the day which eventually lead from one thing to the other - which included an empty bottle of Jack on his floor and his head against the steering wheel of his beloved airship. Cigarette butts collecting around him.    
Usually neat and tidy about his cockpit - he couldn’t care less about such things now.   
The only thing on his mind right now where those red eyes.   
Red like wine - the finest Château Lafite 1787 one could imagine.    
Porcelain skin, way to fragile looking for that rough presence. 

Vincent Valentine.    
  
Raven hair, like expensive silk and yet worn in such an utterly charming mess.   
  
Cid had turned into a walking-talking disaster - all thanks to that coffin-dwelling lone guy they had picked up along the way.    
  
A tired grunt rolled over his lips as he inhaled the last bit of his 8th cigarette, head still glued to the steering wheel.    
All the while Perry Como’s version of ‘’Killing Me Softly’’ had decided to come on over his radio.    
What was he - a heartbroken teen?   
  
The empty bottle of Jack came flying with a crashing sound as it sprung into countless little shards which scattered over the wooden floor of the Shera.   
  
There he was, 35 years old - married once, now divorced, drinking over another man in an airship that was named after his ex-wife. 

  
‘’Pathetic.’’ he manage to somewhat mumble as he had finally peeled his forehead off the hard surface of his steering wheel.    
  
Right in front of him?    
The darkest sky with the tiniest of stars. A million or more, neatly painted on the night sky.    
A sight he’d die for anytime.    
  
  
‘’Feeling blue?’’   
  
If Cid hadn’t already smashed his bottle, he surely would’ve had done so right now.    
He hadn’t heard anyone coming - it could only mean one thing. 

  
_ //Shiva, why?// _

As if summoned by his thoughts, Cid turned to face Vincent standing in the entrance to the cockpit.    
_  
_ _ Of course it was Vincent. _

//Is that payback for divorcing my wife?//

He sighed inwardly, only giving a dissatisfied grunt as the sight of that oh so handso- UGH!   
  
‘’What are you doing here, Valentine?’’

He couldn’t help his voice sounding off even though he had tried to keep it casual.    
  
‘’You’re not the one to come looking after people like that, are you?’’    
  
Silence. 

_ Vincent was a man of few words after all. _ _  
_ _ And then… _

‘’Cloud sent me - told me you’re acting strange lately. Got caught in a mood or something.’’   
  
  


_  
_ _ He took his vorpal sword in hand: _

_ Long time the manxome foe he sought _   
  


  
  


It was a tactical strike of him - old Turk roots still lingering deep after all those years.   
Everyone knew Cid couldn’t hold his temper - and they knew he was most honest when being angry like a wild horde of Goblins.

It wasn’t so much what Vincent had said that drove him over the edge - more so that ever-calm and quiet voice of his. Unbothered and distant.    
  


  
  


_ And as in uffish thought he stood, _

_ The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, _

_ Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, _

_ And burbled as it came! _

  
  


‘’Oh come one now - as if you’d care about that stuff!’’ it came over Cid’s lips. Loud, forceful - no hint of restrain. 

‘’You care so little for any of us, you don’t even notice the obvious - so don’t act like you’d care now.’’   
  
His anger was followed by a dramatic sigh, which still couldn’t lift the heaviness from his chest. So much to say - no idea where to start.    
It was as if he could hear his own blood boiling in those few seconds of silence that felt like half a year.   
  
‘’Am I right when I conclude this is about me, then?’’ his voice was flat, no more on his face than a raised eyebrow.    
  
Oh and how it made Cid boil.    
If his airship wasn’t that dear to him, he’d be very close to just rip the interface out of it and send it flying towards the man in red.

‘’You little…’’   
  
Vincent could hear the thin ice he was treading on, crack beneath his feet - exactly what he had been wanting to hear.    
  
‘’Tell me then, what exactly am I not noticing?’’

…

There was fire, a deep rumble waiting to grow into an explosion until eventually…  _ it did. _

‘’The smallest things god damn! You act so cool and wise all the time but apparently your damned Turk abilities ain’t helpin’ you pickin’ up that shit, huh?’’   
  
Cid’s hand landed flat on the hard surface of his steering wheel, the harsh sound echoing through the room which didn’t even earn him as little as a change in Vincent’s mine.

‘’You’re one hell of a dense motherfucker, y’know? Shiva’s tits how dense can one person be? Guess the only thing that rotted while you had yourself locked up in that coffin was your stupid brain!’’   
  
One bad word after the other found its way over the edge of Cid’s lips, his brain having turned on auto-pilot mode. His voice had turned into a shout.

‘’You don’t even notice how I am trying my fucking hardest to quit smoking cause you told me you didn’t like it! I’ve been tense for the past weeks and fired 4 of my best men over you! And the worst thing about all of this is that I am not mad at you but at myself! Mad that I let something so small get such a control over me. Mad that I lost control and smoked a whole pack because of someone like you, Vincent.’’    
Cid let out a growl turning into a roar before echoing through the room, bouncing off the steel walls.   
  


‘’I am mad that I had to catch myself falling for someone as ignorant and uncaring as you! What did my brain think when it let that happen?’’

And by the time he was done shouting, all words spoken that had been lingering on his tongue for too long, Cid found himself all up in Vincent’s face, glaring at him as if he was some ShinRa official.   
Vincent on the other hand, contrary to what one might expect from him, had backed up a little - a faint hint of…  _ uncertainty on his face? _

It was dead silent in that moment.

Not a single sound, making their ears feel heavy as if anything might break at any point. Just combust into a thousand pieces - like Cid’s heart maybe?   
  


He almost felt dizzy as the heat inevitably rushed into his face. Oh how he longed to hide in some hole at this moment merely to flee this tiring silence between them, still building up like a wall. 

Cid wanted to tumble and fall - crash and burn. 

Get away from all of this.

_ ‘’Oh. I see how it is.’’’ _ _  
_ _  
_ Flatly. 

Distanced.

Surprised - maybe even a little shocked.    
  
It took Cid another moment to react, seemingly taking what felt like hours to him to process his thoughts.

‘’Don’t ‘I see how it is’ me now, god damn!’’   
  


  
178 cm have never felt so small to him before but only now did Vincent realize how he was taller than the latter, he had never noticed.   
The fact that Cid Highwind had just told him how he felt was still processing in his brain. He found himself unable to work through the thought of someone else ever falling in love with him.

Someone who wasn’t soft and light, a faint spring breeze between the greens of Nibelheim Valley but strong and rough, dark as coffee at 7 am with a cigarette between your lips.

It was strange - downright bizarre.

But judging from the shade of red, Cid’s face had taken on, Vincent felt it was more real than he could ever imagine.    
  
‘’Uhm… very well…’’    
  
He was fidgeting, caught in uncertainty. Could hear how Lucrecia would resemble him to a helpless teen right now.    
_ She always loved to tease.  _

Vincent took a few steps back, get Cid out of his face as he was still glaring at him with rage burning in his eyes.    
There was just one thing to do…   
  


  
_ One, two! One, two! And through and through _

_ The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! _

_ He left it dead, and with its head _

_ He went galumphing back. _

  
  


Their lips connected - a mere moment dragged out to what felt like hours - if not months.    
No, time wasn’t of a matter here.    
It was the softness of Vincent’s lips, that cool taste of liquor and cigarettes between them. He could feel Cid’s body heat radiate off of him as his ears grew a few shades of red darker. Hands shying away from each other as they were about to meet.    
No.    
Not yet.    
Too much.    
_ Retreat.  _   
  


It left a bitter aftertaste with Cid, as Vincent pulled back. It left him tired and exhausted yet… so very calm.    
Comforted - almost healed from all this stress of the past week.    
There was no place for anger or rage. 

Just silence as his head turned empty - feeling dumbfounded.

Where to go?   
  


_ And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? _

_ Come to my arms, my beamish boy! _

_ O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! _

_ He chortled in his joy. _

  
  


‘’Why don’t you join me for tonight, Cid? I think there’s a lot we have to catch up with…’’

Playing it cool is what he had tried to do, but the uncertainty inside of him was still there, lingering behind his red coat and it was showing as he took a hold of Cid’s hand. Not shying away this time, guiding him past the shards of a broken bottle - remnants of the beast that had had his way with Cid for the past weeks. They halted in the middle of the glass front, illuminated by the moonlight.   
  
‘’It’s my favorite spot.’’ Vincent admitted.

‘’It is?’’   
  
‘’It’s perfect for some reading.’’   
  
‘’It’s also good for a smoke.’’ Cid forced a chuckle...‘’A-Although, I won’t.’’   
  


  
Right - he had set his mind with reddened ears.   
  
_ ‘’N-Not anymore.’’’ _   
  


  
  


  
  
  
  



End file.
